Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
Target is refunding millions of dollars to customers for pillowcases and sheets that were falsely labeled as Egyptian cotton but were actually made from another fiber.
According to Target, 750,000 pillowcases and sheets from Welspun India Ltd. were labeled as Egyptian cotton but actually made from another material.
The affected bedding, sold from August 2014 to July 2016 includes Fieldcrest 500 thread count Satin-Stitch Damask Egyptian cotton sheets and 500 thread count Geo Pattern Egyptian cotton sheets, which sold for as much as $175 per set according to Target’s website.
“One of Target’s vendors, Welspun Global Brands (Welspun), was one of the producers of Egyptian Cotton 500-thread count sheets under the Fieldcrest label for Target,” Molly Snyder, a Target spokeswoman told Consumerist.
“After an extensive investigation, we recently confirmed that Welspun substituted another type of non-Egyptian cotton when producing these sheets between August 2014 and July 2016. Neither Target nor Fieldcrest had any knowledge of this substitution. These sheets were produced by a number of vendors and only one of those vendors was substituting product,” Target said in a statement.
While Target has confirmed that the sheets were indeed made from cotton, just not Egyptian cotton as advertised, they have pulled them from store shelves and its website, and now the company is offering a full refund to anyone who bought the sheets between August 2014 and July 2016.
Target has already started contacting REDcard and Target.com customers that purchased the fake Egyptian cotton sheets during the above-mentioned times. It also notes that it is in the process of terminating its relationship with Welspun Global Brands due to the issue.
“This was a clear violation of both Target’s Code of Conduct and our Standards of Vendor Engagement, and was contrary to the high ethical standards to which we hold ourselves, and our vendors,” Target said in a statement concerning the fake Egyptian cotton sheets.
Target also notes that the fake Egyptian cotton sheets sold between August 2014 and July 2016 pose no danger to customers and that they can continue to use them.
Following Target’s announcement of the fake Egyptian cotton sheets, a proposed nationwide consumer class action lawsuit was filed against Welspun for fraudulently marketing these bed linens as made from 100% Egyptian cotton.
According to lead plaintiff Meghan Abbott of North Carolina, Welspun used inferior and less expensive cottons in many of its allegedly “100% Egyptian cotton” bed linens. As a result, Abbott says consumers overpaid for an inferior product.
In some cases, consumers are believed to have paid close to $200 for sheets that were falsely marketed as being made of 100% Egyptian cotton.
Abbott contends that despite Target’s probe into the alleged fake Egyptian cotton sheets sold under the Fieldcrest label, Welspun continues to sell the sheets in question on its website as “100% Egyptian Cotton.”
Along with punitive damages and restitution, Abbott is requesting an injunction requiring Welspun to stop its purported deceptive advertising practices.
Numerous retailers have been evaluating bed linens and cotton certification records for bed linens made by Welspun.
Besides, Target, retailers such as Wal-Mart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy’s, and J.C. Penney also carry or have carried Welspun products under the Crowning Touch brand. Wal-Mart also recently announced that is has pulled the affected fake Egyptian cotton sheets from their shelves as well.
Target customers who bought the Egyptian Cotton 500-thread count sheets from the retailer that were part of the Fieldcrest label can request a Target gift card refund option by clicking here and selecting “Egyptian Cotton Sheets” form the drop down menu.
Abbott is represented by Jason A. Zweig, Robert B. Carey, and Leonard W. Aragon of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, and Stuart M. Paynter of The Paynter Law Firm PLLC.
The Welspun “Egyptian” Cotton False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit is Meghan Abbot v. Welspun India Ltd., et al., Case No. 1:16-cv-6792, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
UPDATE: On Oct. 11, 2016, Top Class Actions readers who submitted timely refund requests from Target began receiving store gift cards worth as much as $259.96.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
136 thoughts onTarget to Issue Refunds for Fake Egyptian Cotton Sheets
October the 1st rounds of giftcards went out
Then the end of November the 2nd round of giftcards went out
The 1st batch was for the amounts of I think $350 and under.
The 2nd batch was the giftcards to those with higher dollar amount refunds and those who received and responded (in a timely matter) to the follow up email asking for further information.
I also think only one per address was issued and those who did not receive theirs, probably will not receive.
You are able to respond to the email that you received asking for more proof to see if your giftcard was sent and if so when it was sent.
They were not sending rejection or further information emails.
Does anyone know where the info about another month came from??? And if anyone that has received an email request from Target requesting more info regarding their claim could please post that reply email on TCA I would really appreciate it…I emailed the general Target contact on their site, but got no response back to my inquiry…I filed at the very beginning & never got an email or refund, so I’d appreciate beinging able to contact them thru an email that I might actually get a response back from…Thank you to all who have been kind enough to post updates & Happy Holidays to all…
Does anyone have a contact email for the refunds???
Someone posted that they said another month, so I feel they will still send some out. My sister did not receive an e-mail or a gift card.
Anyone else get any recent gift cards??? I never received a giftcard or rejection email…Thanks in advance
I am the same! Never received anything-no email or gift card and filed at the beginning. My mom and I had both purchased these sheets and filed the same day for our refunds. She received hers in October and I have never received anything.
Has anyone received any more e-mails or gift cards…I filed at the beginning, but never received an e-mail or gift card…just checking to see if there are any more updates…Thank you in advance…
I have not received an email or a gift card for my sheets purchase please respond back promptly everyone else I have notified about this fraudulent activity has received a gift card already
Your grammar is very poor.
It is difficult to decipher what you’re trying to say.
Please try again, using your education to communicate correctly.
my sister never received an e-mail, and has not received her gift card yet.
sister used a defunct email so I am assuming now they sent out emails in a sort of audit to ensure valid claims were filed by real people and not robots or scammers.
$320 NY
Thanks